Lena Dunham and Mindy Kaling Advise Young Females on How to Humorously Confront Gender Bias

Currently running and starring in their own television comedies, Mindy Kaling and Lena Dunham are two of the most accomplished and tireless people in entertainment today. To celebrate their great minds, Tavi Gevinson—child fashionista turned TED lecturer, Rookiefounder, and world’s most impressive teenager—used her influence to bring together the two creatives for a wide-ranging conversation. In case you are not cool enough to have purchased Rookie Yearbook: Two, where the complete interview is published, we’ve excerpted the section in which the duo advises young women on how to confront gender bias and guilty feelings while keeping their sense of humor in tact.

[Dunham:] Do you ever get embarrassed to point out gender bias? I always apologize and say something dumb and sassy like “Not to be the girl who cried misogyny, but no one would ever say that to Larry David!” Somehow I feel the need to point out that I know I’m doing it, and that I may sound humorless, and that I wish I could be free and easy like Cameron Diaz at a hockey game.

[Kaling:] I totally understand this. I don’t get embarrassed, though—I get nervous. Because journalists don’t like to be told that their questions are sexist. Every so often I read insane things like, “Who is the next Lucille Ball?” and they list all these red-haired actresses. As though the essence of Lucille Ball’s talent was derived from the color of her hair. . . .

Do you get guilty? If so, what makes you feel guiltiest? I personally hate doing things I know are bad for my body, canceling plans on children, and speaking to my sister in a condescending way just because she’s an undergraduate.

I feel so guilty when I upset my father or let him down. My dad is like the dad from The Road. He knows every highway in this country and what every building is made out of. He would do anything for me, and has done everything for me. Now I’m tearing up just writing this.

I also feel bad when I keep my writing staff late at work, even if it’s for a good reason. Though I guess not that bad, because we stay late a lot.

There are some professional upsides to being young and female, though! In Dunham’s experience, “old men want to open up to you” and “people worry that you’re cold.” Meanwhile, Kaling feels secure knowing that her affection for co-workers may not be misconstrued as inappropriate by the H.R. department. “I’m tactile and affectionate, and that is part of how I am on set with the actors, the crew, and the writers,” she explained. “I think it helps that I’m a woman, because I’m not sure how it would be construed if I were, say, a tall, older, physically imposing white man.” For the complete conversation, click here.